Air and signal line connection for retractable couplers



June 19, 1945. 2,378,455

AIR AND SIGNAL LINE CONNECTIONS FOR RETRACTABLE COUPLERS ,H. H. WOLFE Filed April 3, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 19, 1945. WOLFE 2,378,455

' AIR AND SIGNAL LINE CONNECTIONS FOR RETRACTABLE COUPLERS Filed April 3, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a Hale/Whom Harry H M2/ e,

Patented June 19, 194

AIR AND SIGNAL LINE CONNECTION FOR I RETRACTABLE GOUPLERS Harry H. Wolfe, Columbus,0hio, assignor to The Buckeye Steel Ohio Castings Company, Columbus,

App1icatio1rAp1'il3, 1944, Serial No. 529,308 I Claims.

This invention relates to the air and signal lines used in railway trains and more particularly to hose connections employed with retractable couplers of the type disclosed in my application Serial Number 526,762, filed March 16, 1944.

When locomotives are double headed, it is desirable to have the air brake line and the air signal line coupled between the twolocomotives. It is, also, desirable to use the standard length of air hose so that proper clearances are provided for the air hose when coupled. There are certain fixed locations for the air and signal lines with reference to the pulling face of the coupler so as to providethe proper clearances and Operating conditions for the air and signal hose. I

When the coupler isretracted, a much better arenot fixed to the front end of the locomotive and can be retracted with the coupler.

In accordance with the invention disclosed in my above-mentioned application, the locomotive pilot is provided with a pocket in which'a door is mounted for movement about a vertical axis, and the door has one face coinciding with the face of the pilot when the coupler is in retracted position," and another recessed face from which the coupler projects when in coupling position.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide air brakeline and air signal line connections designed to be mounted on the recessed face of the door structure, and to move with the latter into a concealed position within the pilot when the coupler is retracted.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafterdescribed in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more'par-ticularly pointed out in the appended claims. i

In the drawings,

Fig. .1 is a fragmentary :front elevation of a pilot and retractable coupler of the type disclosed in my earlier application and with my improvements applied thereto. a Fig. 2 is aside elevation partly in vertical section, the section being taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1. a i

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a clamp forming part of my improvements.

Referring to the drawings, 4 designates a pilot having an anticlimbing projection 5, below which I there is a doorway 6 at the front of a pocket 1 'has oppositely disposed walls, only one of which- 9, is shown, and these wallscoinc'ide with the inclined face in of the pocket for streamlining. The wall of the door structure which is illustrated is provided with a recess H from which a coumates in a shut-01f angle cook 14 positioned at a convenient point above the coupler. A signal line IE5, also, extends through the pilot and is provided with a shutwff valve 1| 6 located adjacent to the airline. Angle cock [4 and valve l6 are fitted respectively with short lengths of hose l1, l8 to which are fastened couplings I9, 20., which terminate slightly above the. doorway 6, as shown in Fig. 2, so as not to interfere with opening and closing the pilot door structure 8.

At an intermediatepoint on the front wall 9 of the door structure, and firmly secured thereto at one side'of the recess I 1 is a bracket 2| (Fig. 3) designed to clamp pipe fittings 22 and 23 to the .door structure, and an air hose 24 has a nipple 25 at one end thereof which screws into fittings 22, and is provided at its opposite end with a conventional coupling 26 designed to engage coupling 19. Similarly, a hose '2! has a nipple 28 at one end to screw into the pipe-fitting .23, and a coupling 29 at its upper end for engagement with the coupling 20.

Standard length air and signal hose 30, 31 have nipples :32, 33 at their upper ends for engagement respectively with the fittings22, 23., and terminate in conventional couplings 34., 3.5 adapted to be coupled with air and signal lines respectively of anadjacent car (not shown).

When the coupler I2 is incoupling position, hooks 35 and. 31..connected to'an eye .38 on the door 9, tends to keep the couplings Iii-26 and ill-29 connected, and the couplings 34 and 35 are then ready to be coupled in the usual way.

When it is desired to retract the coupler by swinging the door structure about its vertical axis, couplings Iii-4B and Ill-29 areyuncoupled and hooks 36, 31 of hose 24, 21 are released from eye 38 and the hose laid over the top of the coupler shank as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Couplers 34 and 35 are fastened to dummy couplings 39, only one of which is shown .(Fig. 1).v

They are fixed to the door structure and arranged in the recess H by means of a chain 40 conthat changes may be made in the details dis-- closed without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination with a locomotive pilot provided with a pocket in which a door structure is movably mounted, and a coupler is carried by the door structure, of a pipe fitting secured to the door structure, hose extending in opposite direc-.

tions from the pipe fitting and terminating in pipe couplers, a fluid-conducting line connected to the pilot and provided with a shut-off cock, and means operatively and detachably connecting one of said couplers to said cock.

2. The combination with a locomotive pilot provided with a pocket in which a door structure'is movably mounted, and a coupler is carried by the door structure, of a pipe fitting secured to the door structure, hose extending in opposite directions from the pipe fitting and terminating in pipe couplers, a fluid-conducting line connected to the pilot and provided with a shut-off cock, and means operatively and detachably connecting one of said couplers to said cock, said means comprising a hose connected to the shut-off cock and a coupler connected to the last-mentioned cou pler.

3. The combination with a locomotive pilot provided with a pocket in which a door structure is movably mounted, and a coupler is carried by the door structure, of a pipe fitting secured to the door structure, hose extending in opposite directions from the pipe fitting and terminating in pipe couplers, a fluid-conducting line connected to the pilot and provided with a shut-off cock, means operatively and detachably connecting one of said couplers to said cock, and flexible means detachably connecting one hose to the door structure.

4. The combination with a locomotive pilot provided with a pocket in which a recessed door structure is movably mounted and a coupler is carried by the recessed portion of the door structure, of a pipe fitting secured to the door structure adjacent to the recess thereof, hose extending in opposite directions from the pipe fitting and terminating in pipe couplers, a fluid-conducting line connected to the pilot and provided with a shut-off cock, and means operatively and detachably connecting one of said couplersto said cock.

5. The combination with a locomotive pilot provided with a pocket in which a door structure is movably mounted, and a coupler is carried by the door structure, of a pipe fitting secured to the door structure, hose extending in opposite directions from the pipe fitting and terminating in pipe couplers, a fluid-conducting line connected to the pilot and provided with a shut-ofi cock arranged above the door structure, and means operatively and detachably connecting one of said couplers to said cock.

6. The combination with a locomotive pilot provided with a pocket in which a door structure is movably mounted, and a coupler is carried by the door structure, of a pipe fitting secured to the door structure, hose extending in opposite directions from the pipe fitting and terminating in pipe couplers, a fluid-conducting line connected to the pilot and provided with a shut-off cock, means operatively and detachably connecting one of said couplers to said cock, and means for detachably securing the other one of said coupiers to the door structure.

7. The combination with a locomotive pilot provided with a pocket in which a door structure is movably mounted and a coupler is carried by the door structure, of a plurality of pipe fittings secured to the door structure, hose extending in opposite directions from each pipe fitting and terminating in pipe couplers, fluid-conducting lines projecting from, the pilot and provided with shut-off valves, and means operatively and detachably connecting certain of said couplers to said valves.

8. The combination with a locomotive pilot provided with a pocket in which a door structure is movably mounted and a coupler is carried by the door structure, of a plurality of pipe fittings secured to the door structure, hose extending in opposite directions from each pipe fitting and terminating in pipe couplers, fluid-conducting lines projecting from the pilot and provided with shut-off valves, means operatively and detachably connecting certain of said couplers to said valves, and flexible means detachably connecting certain of the hose to the door structure.

9. The combination with a locomotive pilot provided with a pocket in which a door structure is movabl mounted and a coupler is carried by the door structure, of a plurality of pipe fittings secured to the door structure, hose extending in opposite directions from each pipe fitting and terminating in pipe couplers, fluid-conducting lines projecting from the pilot and provided with shut-off valves, means operatively and detachably connecting certain of said couplers to said valves,

and means detachably connecting the other of said couplers to the door structure.

10. The combination of the locomotive pilot provided with a pocket in which a door structure is movably mounted and a coupler is carried by the door structure for movement into coupling position in front of the pilot or to retracted posi tion within the pocket, of pipe fittings secured to the door structure, hose extending in opposite directions from each pipe fitting and terminating in pipe couplers, fluid-conducting lines projecting from the pilot and provided with shut-ofi valves, means operatively and detachably connecting certain of said couplers to said valves, the last-mentioned couplers being adapted to move with the hose and coupler into the pocket, and means detachably securing certain of the couplers to the door structure.

HARRY I-I. WOLFE. 

